


Your Opinion Has Been Noted

by Spiderlily_Writes



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Contrived excuses to make them share one small tent, Crimson Flower canon, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Porn With Plot, Post-War, Trust, Vanilla, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:14:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25071478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderlily_Writes/pseuds/Spiderlily_Writes
Summary: Hapi and Constance are deployed to a small village several days ride from Enbarr, at Edelgard's request. Their journey is fraught with peril both literal and figurative, but maybe the real destination was the love they found along the way?
Relationships: Hapi/Constance von Nuvelle
Comments: 8
Kudos: 64





	Your Opinion Has Been Noted

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution for Hapistance Week 2020, for the prompt "travel | adventure". Fashionably late, of course.

“Hey, Coco?” Hapi asked, slumping down on her horse so deeply that it seemed she was likely to tumble right off.

“Yes, Hapi?” Constance replied cheerfully.

“You know I love you, right? And I would only ever tell you the truth? Ever?”

“Why of course! What, may I ask, are you getting at?” Constance looked just a little concerned, which was unlike her. At night at least. Hapi groaned.

“I want you to be just, like, totally aware that this is the absolute worst, and I would rather be doing literally anything else, at all.”

“Your opinion has been noted.”

The two of them had already been riding for three days, only stopping to eat and sleep, and Hapi was running on the absolute last of her energy. She understood why they had to do their travelling at night, of course. Trying to get Constance to move at any kind of decent pace during the day is a lost cause, and it was easier for Hapi to adjust her sleep schedule around her heliophobic partner, but that didn’t make it, by any stretch of the imagination, more pleasant.

They were riding from Enbarr, at Emperor Edelgard’s personal request, to help flush some monsters out from the woods near a village about four days' march from the imperial capital. Knowing Hapi’s talent for handling the creatures, and Constance’s talent for handling Hapi, it was a natural choice to send the two women out, but that certainly did not mean Hapi had to like it.

Constance, on the other hand, was almost  _ insufferably _ pleased with the task. She liked being helpful, especially to Edelgard, who had granted her peerage and the ability to restore House Nuvelle to its former glory, and she was always interested in any opportunity she could get to put her name out there. Edelgard knew exactly which strings to pull on Constance to get her to dive headfirst into a mess like this. For a noble, Hapi figured Constance was pretty naive, but there really wasn’t much to be done for it. 

And so, there they were, riding their horses at night, Hapi enduring Constance’s incessant attempts at verbal patter to pass the time, and doing her absolute best to resist the urge to fling herself into the embrace of whatever horrid woodland menaces were definitely, totally stalking them from the side of the trail.

“Don’t you ever get freaked out by riding around at night all the time? Who knows what kind of horrible woodland menaces could be out there stalking us from the side of the trail?” Hapi asked, exasperated. “Couldn’t we just ride during the day like normal people and I could like...carry you or something?”

“Hapi, you know that wouldn’t work. My...particular condition makes it nigh impossible for me to complete  _ any _ task in the sunlight, no matter how simple it may seem. Nighttime is much more efficient, in that regard.”

Hapi grunted in response, pulling a hunk of bread out of one of her saddlebags and taking a far-too-large bite out of it. Not only was her sleep schedule completely messed up, her meal schedule was blown to pieces, and that was just an absolute tragedy. When she said she would rather be doing literally anything else, she meant it.

The two of them had gotten to spend a little bit more time getting to know each other, after the war had come to a close. In Abyss, they had always been friends of course, but Hapi kept her business to herself, and so did Constance, and that seemed to suit them both just fine. 

But now that all of their friends from Garreg Mach were so busy with government and all that fun stuff, Yuri was bullying Byleth into helping him divert imperial funds into more and more philanthropy, and Balthus was...just sort of out doing Balthus things, the two of them had found themselves drawn together by a bond of shared experience.

Constance found herself somewhat overwhelmed by the task of reestablishing a noble house, regardless of the fact that she had actually prepared for it really well, and Hapi hadn’t really had anything better to do, so she spent most of her days bumming around her own fancy set of rooms in Constance’s manor and helping herself to whatever she could swipe from the kitchen when nobody was looking. Of course, they’d just  _ make her _ food if she asked for it, but where was the fun in that?

What had begun as a rekindling of an old friendship had eventually turned into something more. What exactly, Hapi wasn’t sure. But since Constance was frequently indisposed as a result of her sun-sickness, Hapi had started to (reluctantly) make some of the decisions around the place in her stead. She’d heard murmurs that there were some people, mostly servants and such, who had considered Hapi to be almost a second lady of the house, which was a very strange experience to be certain, but it felt good in a way she struggled to describe. It felt like being...home. That thought made Hapi feel a certain warmth that she tried not to read into.

Hapi looked to Constance, trying to force her brain to re-center on whatever it was that the other woman was talking about.

“...really need to make certain that we’re being careful and observant for the next night or so, because we’re close enough to the village that monsters might be- Hapi, are you paying attention?” she asked, turning back to look at her. Hapi nearly choked on her mouthful of bread, and coughed.

“Oh yeah, of course Coco.” Constance narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Then what is the last thing I said?”

“It was, uh… something about monsters eating us? And how we need to keep an eye on things to make sure they don’t...do…” Hapi trailed off, looking beyond Constance and into the woods where she could swear she could see…

“Hapi, hello?” she asked, impatiently, waving. “Are you there?”

“Fuck. Constance,  _ down _ !” Hapi shouted, calling up as much of her power as she could on extremely short notice and blowing Constance off the back of her horse. Constance yelped and hit the ground, hard, bouncing off the trail and to the side. “Sorry!” Hapi called, just as a screech from the woods heralded an onrush of flame that scorched Constance’s horse, toasted her saddle, and would have reduced Constance herself to ash, had it hit directly.

Hapi steered her own horse aside and hopped down, boots hitting the dirt with a dull thump and causing her to stumble. She would really have to remember to work on her dismount when they returned home.

Constance’s horse was well trained, true, but it was not well trained enough to stay put while it was being blasted by fire from the maw of a demonic beast, and it took off running into the foods with an anguished whinny. Hapi watched it go and cursed again as the beast itself came in swooping, screaming, talons extended in an attempt to cut Hapi to ribbons. She lifted a hand and, having more time to prepare now, was able to get off a proper spell. 

A dark pool formed on the ground beneath the beast in an instant, and violet orbs swarmed from it, whipping up a ferocious gale as they flew and impacted the flying monster one by one, causing it to cry out in pain and anger with each strike. They were enough to knock the creature out of the air and to the ground, where it lay stunned for a moment and thrashing as it tried to get its bearings.

Just as Hapi prepared to try another spell to finish the monster off, though, she saw Constance stand up on the other side of the road, swaying slightly, and jerk her hand forward, a glowing red circle of runes appearing in the air before her. She shouted something that Hapi couldn’t quite make out, and an explosion split the night air with such force that Hapi felt herself being shoved backward, as a massive spear made of white hot fire crashed down into the beast’s head and shattered the earth beneath it, disintegrating the entire top half of the thing. 

Once the air cleared and her breathing steadied, Hapi whistled appreciatively. “Wow, you were  _ not _ messing around, huh Coco?” she asked, striding forward and kicking at the monster’s foot. It didn’t move. Obviously. “Sorry about the uh...you know.” Hapi gestured at the empty space where Constance’s horse had been until moments ago. Constance sighed in response.

“It isn’t your fault, Hapi, and I appreciate you getting me to safety. Even if I wish you had perhaps done it a little more gently. We are left with something of a problem, though.”

“How do you figure?”

“Well, while I have no doubt that your wonderful stallion there can carry both of us at once without it being an undue burden, my tent and supplies were attached to the saddle. Even if we managed to give chase and find the animal itself, those items are probably naught but cinders on the wind.” Constance crossed her arms and looked in the direction her horse had run, tapping one finger in frustration. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“Well, I mean, you could share my tent with me. It would probably be kind of a tight fit, but we could make it work. I’m sure we could get some spare clothes once we get where we’re going, and I have enough food to get us there without any trouble, as long as we only take one more night to finish the trip,” Hapi said, ticking off the problems on her fingers. “Was there anything in there that you can’t replace?”

“Not that I can think of at this moment, no.”

“Well then, problem solved.”

“Well...for a given definition of solved, I suppose so. Thank you, Hapi, your generosity is most appreciated.”

“Yeah, I’m the best, I know. Let’s get moving,” she said, turning back to her horse. “We’re burning moonlight.”

She heaved herself back up into the saddle, and extended a hand down to Constance, who took it and followed Hapi, gingerly. She settled onto the saddle in front of Hapi, their bodies flush together, and Hapi found herself pleased that Constance was facing away rather than toward her, so that she couldn’t see Hapi’s expression. Her face warmed and her eyes widened in surprise at the rush that the contact sent through her. 

Okay, she thought to herself. That was new. After everything they’d been through, being in contact with Constance shouldn’t be something that made her feel that way, but the feeling persisted. She tried to shove it down as they continued to ride forward, making their way toward the village.

***

A few hours later, as the night was beginning to brighten almost imperceptibly, Constance called a halt to their travels for the night, and Hapi found herself relieved. There was a tension that she had been holding ever since Constance had settled up into the saddle in front of her, and it hadn’t gone away in the intervening period. In fact, it had only become more intense.

Once they found a sufficient clearing off to the side, Hapi set about pitching their tent on a flat patch of ground, while Constance tended to her horse-  _ their _ horse now, she supposed. She was exhausted, and the chance to get some sleep sounded extremely appealing, even if it was during the day.

Hapi finished the tent and stepped back, admiring her handiwork. She hadn’t thought about it before offering, but the tent was...pretty small. Because it was sized for ease of transport, it was really only slightly bigger than her body in terms of width and her mouth went dry as she considered the two options for sharing the space.

Either Constance was going to be on top of her, or they were going to be very, very, very close together side-by-side. Something to consider, she supposed, when this was all over and she was inevitably buying a new tent. 

Hapi wandered back to where Constance was unpacking food, which she sat on a metal sheet and heated using some basic fire magic. It was certainly beneficial to be travelling with someone who could bend the elements to her will. 

She sat down across from Constance and waited patiently for the food to be finished, not wanting to interrupt her concentration. She watched Constance work, her brain working overtime to try to identify why there had been such a sudden change in her perception of her longtime friend.

When they had both lived in Abyss together, their association had been predominantly one of survival. They worked together well, extremely well, and had gotten on just fine. But Yuri had usually taken the lead on any ‘projects’ the group of them engaged in, and Hapi, Constance, and Balthus would just follow along, playing whatever part the tactician had written for them. It hadn’t required much communication, and they rarely had time for it anyways.

Things were different now, though. They’d had time to talk, to  _ really _ talk, and learn more about each other. They’d spent time together, without the pressures of war or survival weighing heavily on their shoulders. She had begun to notice things about Coco that she hadn’t before. She noticed her laugh, and her confident smile, and the way her hair bounced when she walked, and her determination and resilience, and her sharp, pretty features and... Hapi realized Constance was talking to her again.

“...feeling okay, Hapi? You haven’t been saying much since we defeated our feathered foe several hours ago. Did you overexert yourself?” Constance asked, looking at her with concern. It was sweet of her, Hapi thought to herself. Had Constance always been that nice, or was Hapi just now noticing a quality that had always been present?

“Nah, I’m fine, Coco, don’t worry about it. Just thinking,” Hapi replied, taking her half of the prepared meal and beginning to eat.

“What were you thinking about? Anything I should know?” Constance asked her, cocking an eyebrow. “Is it related to our quest?” Hapi laughed aloud, before remembering her mouth was full of food. She chewed and swallowed before continuing.

“No, not really,” Hapi replied, and then before she could stop herself, “I was just thinking about you.”

She froze. That had just kind of...slipped out. Hapi wasn’t sure why she’d said it, but well, damned if it wasn’t out there now.

She watched a bit of color rise in Constance’s face. “Ah, yes? About me? What about me, Hapi?” she asked, her tone carefully even. “Unless you don’t wish to discuss it, I respect your privacy of course.”

There was a moment of tense, uncomfortable silence as they both picked at their dinners disinterestedly. Finally, after taking a moment to get her thoughts in order, Hapi spoke up, trying to sound casual.

“It’s just been nice to spend time with you, is all. We never really got to talk much before, and it’s been nice. Actually getting to know you, I mean. And it’s been really cool of you to let me crash at your estate. So. I dunno. I appreciate you Coco.” As Hapi spoke, she saw a small smile begin to widen on Constance’s lips. Good. At least she hadn’t said anything stupid enough to offend her.

“Thank you for joining me, Hapi. I know I can sometimes be a little bit...difficult to get along with. But I have always felt comfortable around you. Yuri and Balthus too, of course, but I feel a true kinship between us. I also appreciate how much you have been helping me re-establish House Nuvelle! Being granted peerage alone does not make a noble house great, and your support has been invaluable when I myself am unavailable. It feels almost as if we are  _ both _ the heads of the household!” Constance exclaimed with a smile, then she very clearly realized the implication of what she said, and that smile faltered. “In- in a purely friendly way of course!”

Hapi narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Could Constance be having some of the same feelings she was? That...might make sleeping a little more awkward. “Right. Just in a friendly way.” She finished her dinner and stood up to stretch. “Well, morning’s about here, so we should probably get to bed, huh? Don’t want you to be sun-struck or anything. Come on, I laid out my bedroll and everything already.” 

Hapi crossed the short distance to her tent and slid inside, kicking off her boots and laying them on the canvas floor. She’d been sleeping in her clothes since they were surrounded by no shortage of dangerous creatures and people on their journey, and a quick exit might be necessary. She figured Constance would have been doing the same. Constance’s face appeared at the opening of the tent, and Hapi looked up at her from under her blankets. “What’s up, Coco?” she asked, curious. “You coming in or not?”

“Well, I am fully aware that this is something of an embarrassing situation, but I didn’t think it would come up since we were staying in our own tents and I certainly had not anticipated a fire-breathing monster destroying my travelling supplies and sending my horse into the-”

“What are you  _ talking  _ about?” Hapi interrupted. 

“I don’t have any nightclothes,” Constance said, her face going a bit more red than before. “And the clothes that I have on aren’t really good for sleeping in. Do you have any extras?” Hapi groaned and reached into the bag above her head that she had been using as a pillow. 

“Yeah, here, this should work.” She fished a simple robe out of the bag and tossed it to Constance, who stuck a hand into the tent and caught it. She nodded gratefully and pulled back out so that she could change. Hapi watched her silhouette through the tent’s wall. That didn’t count as peeping, right? She couldn’t actually see anything. Though...she had to admit, it was oddly exciting knowing that Constance was outside changing into  _ Hapi’s _ clothes, even if she couldn’t put her finger on why.

Constance came back inside with a bundle of clothes in hand, and examined the space a little more critically. She frowned. “There isn’t an awful lot of room, is there?” she asked, chewing her lip.

“Nope.” Hapi waited patiently.

“We really ought to see about getting you a larger tent.” 

“Maybe. Usually works just fine, since it’s just me. I like small spaces anyways. Good for hidin’ in.”

“Well, what if we-”

“Coco! Are you coming or not? I want to go to sleep.”

“Yes. Yes of course. Let me just...erm…” She trailed off as she went to her hands and knees and crawled inside, trying to avoid stepping on Hapi, who scooted as far to the side as she could to allow Constance some space. Constance laid down on her side, with her back to Hapi’s. The contact made Hapi feel oddly warm, and she passed Constance half of her blanket, which she took with a grateful mumble.

“Good morning, Hapi, thank you for sharing your tent,” Constance said, snuggling under the blanket as much as she could. Hapi felt her wiggle against her back and couldn’t restrain a smile.

“Morning Coco. Get some rest, okay?”

They drifted off to sleep, each of them finding comfort in the closeness of the other.

***

The next evening, Hapi and Constance rode hard to make it to the village before they had to spend another day stuck in Hapi’s tent together. The act itself was far from unpleasant, in Hapi’s mind, but the awkwardness upon waking had made the entire ordeal one that she did not wish to repeat if she could avoid it.

Constance, Hapi had learned, talked in her sleep. 

It has been probably around midday, though she had been wearing an eye mask to keep the light out, so it would be hard to say for sure. Hapi had awoken to the sound of muttering from behind her, which startled her a little bit, until she remembered that Constance had been sharing her space. The two of them had slept in the same room before, but never the same bed, and the muttering was so quiet that she could only just make it out.

“...darling, come here,” Constance had mumbled, shifting slightly. That, alone, was enough to make Hapi wonder, because Constance had never, as far as she knew, courted anyone. Who would she have been calling darling? But then she continued.

“...look so precious, laid out like a delicious little feast.” 

This had made Hapi’s ears burn red hot. Constance had been having a dream about someone laid out for her? That...couldn’t be innocent, there was no way. Hapi tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, her friend was having a sex dream, whatever, but the third thing Constance said was enough to draw her attention and hold it firm. 

“...so cute, Hapi.”

Utterly shocking. Paralyzing. Terrifying. Hapi was still processing it that night as they went the last stretch toward the village. She looked at Constance in front of her, seemingly unaware and unbothered by her sleeping vocalizations, wondering what on earth was going on in that strange mind of hers. She had been very definitely having a dirty dream about Hapi, she decided. There could really be no other explanation. 

Hapi thought about her tone, and the casualness with which she woke up and addressed Hapi in the evening. Did she not remember? Was this a dream that she had often enough that she was used to it, and used to interacting with Hapi afterward? She couldn’t imagine that  _ she _ would feel so glib after having a dream like that about  _ Constance _ . 

But her friend had awoken that evening, easy as could be, stepped outside, gotten dressed, and begun to pack up camp. Hapi tried to help, though she was still mulling over what had happened that day, enough that Constance’s usual attempts at idle chatter had fallen more flat than ever. 

Darling. Precious.

Hapi. 

The day passed mostly in silence, as even Constance’s usual confidence and determination weren’t enough to break through Hapi’s confused, stunned, kinda aroused malaise. Constance eventually stopped trying to make conversation and started humming tunes to herself, which suited Hapi just fine. She needed time to process this, and she couldn’t really do that while maintaining a conversation with the person for whom she was apparently an object of affection.

How did Hapi feel about it? How would she ever even begin to address it? What if the dream wasn’t exactly what Hapi thought it was, and she put her foot so firmly in her mouth that it would be impossible to dislodge? Would it ruin their friendship, or blow any chance the two of them might have at becoming something more in the future? There were too many questions, too many unknowns, too many things that Hapi just couldn’t plan for, and that made her uncomfortable. She shuddered as she considered losing one of the few good friends she had over something as stupid as sleeptalking. Probably not worth the risk. 

They arrived at the village a couple of hours before dawn, which was actually pretty well ahead of schedule due to Hapi’s decidedly brisk pace. After only one conversation with a sleepy innkeeper and a tersely worded explanation of the fact that they were there on the direct personal request of Emperor Edelgard herself, the two of them found themselves ushered into a surprisingly fine room. There were two beds, two desks, a hearth with some logs already set in it ready to be burned, lanterns on the walls and, most importantly, there was only one window. Good. Easy to block, so they could actually get some decent sleep.

There was, though, yet another uncomfortable silence that hovered in the room and drove the two of them apart as surely as a blast of wind or fire. Constance sat at her desk, writing out correspondence to be ferried back to Edelgard in Enbarr, and Hapi laid on one of the beds, staring at the ceiling, still thinking about what yesterday’s events would mean for the two of them. To her surprise, it was Constance who broke the silence, laying her pen down with a soft, almost inaudible click.

“Hapi? Can we discuss something, please?”

Hapi immediately felt anxiety stick in her like a knife and twist. “Oh, uh, yeah, Coco, sure. What about?” she asked, without turning her head.

“Did I do something to upset or offend you on this trip?” Constance asked, looking Hapi in the eye. “I cannot conceive of what it may be, but although you do sometimes maintain a degree of reticence, you have not spoken to me all night. I must conclude, unlikely though it may be, that I have done something wrong.”

The anxiety turned to guilt, and the knife twisted harder. She had needed time to think, sure, but she wasn’t trying to shut Constance out. She was her best friend after all. Hapi looked over at Constance and saw that, despite her verbally collected demeanor and usual articulation, her lip was trembling as though she was about to cry. Oh. Fuck. Hapi sat bolt-upright and put up her hands in a conciliatory gesture.

“No, Coco, shit, no, you didn’t do anything wrong, I’m so sorry. The issue is me, not you, I promise. I’ve just...had a lot on my mind is all!”

“Well what is it, Hapi? You’re my friend, my steadfast ally. We have known each other for years, and I would think you would trust me enough to let me share in your burdens by now!” Constance insisted, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side to try to keep Hapi from seeing the wet line running down her cheek. 

Goddess, she’d really fucked it up this time. Should she tell Constance what was  _ actually _ wrong? Should she make something up? Didn’t Constance deserve better than being lied to? Hapi groaned in frustration. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that...It’s...ugh, why is this so hard to talk about?”

Constance turned back to Hapi, curiously. “What is it, Hapi? You can talk to me about anything, you should know that.”

Alright, hell with it, no going back now. Do or die. She would honestly rather die.

“Constance, you talk in your sleep!” she said, and let the sentence hang in the air. She could see the implications sinking in, plain on Constance’s face. 

First, confusion, then understanding, then realization, and then her face turned about the same shade as Hapi’s hair, all at once, top to bottom, and Hapi was damn sure that if steam could puff from Constance’s ears, it would have. She looked at Hapi, then away, then back to Hapi again.

“Ah. I see,” said Constance, refusing to meet Hapi’s eye. “And so...I suppose...last night, while I was sleeping…”

“Yeah. So. That’s why I’ve been a little preoccupied today. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault, I can forget I heard anything, and we can just get on with our-”

“I’m so sorry if you’re upset, Hapi, I-” Constance interrupted.

“I’m not upset, I’m just-” Hapi said, simultaneously.

“...would it be possible that-”

“...thinking about-”

“...feel the same way?” Constance finished, chancing a cautious look at Hapi, before looking away again, her face still bright red.

“I’m sorry, what? Repeat that?” she asked, wanting to make sure she heard correctly.

Constance hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance that you feel the same way about me?”

Hapi considered it for a second, actually thought about it. She thought about the way she felt when Constance pressed against her while they slept. She thought about how it felt to wrap her arms around Constance to hold the reins while riding. 

She thought about how it made her feel when Constance called her the other head of her household.

“I...actually think I do, Coco,” she said, quietly.

“W-what?” Constance asked, incredulous. “You...really?”

“Yeah. I think I might.”

There was a moment of silence, as Constance stood up from her place at the desk and crossed the room quickly to sit on the empty bed, facing Hapi. “You think you might feel the same way, Hapi? Do you, or don’t you?” Her tone sounded almost pleading, like she was begging for a straight, solid answer, with no hedging. So Hapi gave it to her.

“Yeah. I do,” she said, resolute.

Constance paused, then spoke, her voice strangely nervous and tremorous. “While I recognize that the two of us are on a very important quest given by our liege lady and dear friend, and I would not dare jeopardize the professional nature of our relationship, nor cut into the time allotted for the work we are supposed to be completing, and though it may be highly improper, I think I would like to k-”

“Oh for the love of...shut  _ up, _ ” Hapi pleaded, grabbing the front of Constance’s shirt, drawing her close, and kissing her hard. 

Her ploy worked, because though Constance initially resisted being pulled and interrupted, she took less than a second to melt into the kiss. It was closed, but passionate and positively electrifying, and when she pulled away, Constance gasped.

“I...apologize for being so loquacious at a time like this, but I-”

Hapi, still gripping the front of her friend’s shirt, pulled Constance harder this time and tilted back so that she fell onto the bed and Constance had no choice but to move with her. Constance yelped and put her hands out to catch herself, so they landed on either side of Hapi’s head, while Constance’s lower body landed squarely on Hapi’s in a way that was distinctly pleasant.

“Coco. Listen. I know you’re freaked out. I know you talk a lot when you’re freaked out. But I need you to try to stifle that urge because there’s like a million better things you could be doing with your mouth right now and I want you to pick literally any one of them to do instead, okay?”

Constance paused. She nodded, her blonde and blue hair bouncing as she did, and Hapi reached up to play with one of the tresses idly. She felt Constance’s leg slip between her own, and she didn’t bother to resist the urge to grind against it. Constance felt the pressure and leaned into it, pressing closer and drawing a small whine from Hapi, before Constance silenced her with a second kiss.

This time, Hapi slipped her hand down to the back of Constance’s neck and held it there, controlling her, feeling the small hairs and stroking lightly with her thumb, which made Constance shiver and groan into her mouth. It was a beautiful sound, and Hapi couldn’t believe she’d waited so many years before trying to coax it out of her.

Hapi deepened the kiss, opening her mouth and letting Constance explore tentatively, while she continued to stroke the back of Constance’s neck and grind against her leg. The mixed sensations were delicious, and they were enough to make Hapi groan in delight. They continued that way for a minute, just enjoying each others’ presence and the closeness of their bodies. 

Eventually, though Constance became emboldened. She pulled away from Hapi, reached down, grabbed her, and shoved her the rest of the way onto the bed. “You requested that I do ‘literally anything else’ with my mouth, yes? I may have an idea,” she said. Hapi grinned. Now  _ that _ was the noble, high-and-mighty Coco she knew.

“Oh yeah? An idea, huh? Tell me all about it,” Hapi said, her grin turning into a smirk. Constance reached down to the front of Hapi’s trousers and flicked the buttons to undo them, then pulled them, and her panties, off with a flourish. Hapi gasped despite herself and resisted the reflex to press her thighs together.  _ Okay, not bad, _ she thought to herself, _ pretty bold though.  _

Constance knelt down on the floor, between Hapi’s legs, and leaned in to the left, planting a kiss on the side of her knee, flicking her tongue against the skin there and making Hapi flinch. She moved up a few inches and did it again, travelling up and along the sensitive skin, her destination clear, but she was clearly making no effort to get there fast. Hapi felt as though her whole body was on fire, and every time Constance pressed her lips against her, it stoked the flames even further.

Her fingernails dug into Hapi’s thighs, and Hapi groaned in frustration and pain. “Goddess, Constance, please!” She reached a hand down and rested it on the back of Constance’s head, stroking lightly. “Just absolutely, under no circumstances, stop doing th-ah!”

She yelped as Constance bit down, hard, leaving a mark on Hapi’s inner thigh that she knew would remain there for a while. She struggled to be irritated about it, though. Constance looked up at her playfully, then kissed the spot, her lips feeling almost as though they burned her skin, and it sent shivers down Hapi’s spine. She continued moving up Hapi’s thigh, leaving her trail of kisses, tickling the sensitive skin with her hair and dragging her nails down Hapi’s legs, the combination of those feelings driving her absolutely  _ wild _ . 

Eventually, Constance leaned up and planted a kiss right above Hapi’s clit, and Hapi’s breath hitched. “Constance vun Nuvelle, if you don’t stop teasing me right now, I swear on everything you and I both hold dear…”

“You’ll do what, Hapi? I don’t think you’re in much of a position to make demands of the Lady of House Nuvelle. Perhaps you should say please instead. Perhaps if you flatter me sufficiently, I could be convinced to give you what you want.” She planted another kiss, and looked at Hapi expectantly. Hapi rolled her eyes.

“Constance, you are pretty and powerful and stunning and witty and smart and talented and I would very much like you to please, _please_ eat me out. Is that flattering enough?”

“I suppose it will suffice, this time.”

“Oh, this time? Are we going to make this a regular thing?”

Rather than answer her, Constance granted her wish, kissing her inner thigh one more time before laying her tongue right,  _ right _ where Hapi wanted it, and it was  _ bliss _ . She leaned in and kissed her clit, flicking her tongue against it gently, making Hapi grip the sheets of the bed with her free hand, and Constance’s hair with the other, desperate to keep her there. “Please Coco, please,  _ please _ don’t stop.”

Constance obliged once more, sliding her hand up beneath her chin and thrusting two fingers inside Hapi with a zeal that made Hapi arch her back and cry out. Constance kept working her mouth and her hand, not letting Hapi pull away, not letting her buck her hips out of reach, her breath hot against her, her free hand sliding up to Hapi’s stomach and pinning her down to the bed.

Her fingers clenched tight in Constance’s hair and she braced herself, feeling the heat building low inside her, feeling the wave begin to crest, feeling herself approaching her peak, faster than she had ever thought another person could bring her there.

It took only a few more seconds before Hapi’s will broke, and she clenched her teeth, groaning low and long as the pleasure blew through her. Constance didn’t stop, she didn’t slow, and Hapi lost control, crying out again and thrashing beneath her as her friend clearly delighted in the effect she was having on her. It took what felt like several minutes before Constance let up, and Hapi had a momentary reprieve. She was exhausted, and she fell back limp on the mattress, her hands going slack. Hapi reached up and wiped sweat from her forehead.

“Coco, that was...whoa…” she mumbled, closing her eyes. “I think I died for a second there.” Hapi heard movement from below her, and she opened them again, looking down at Constance incredulously once she saw that the other woman was standing and shedding her travel clothes completely shamelessly.

“Constance?” she asked in utter disbelief. The noblewoman cast a glance down at Hapi and smirked. 

“Surely you don’t think we’re finished yet. I am nowhere near done with you. I have several years to make up for.”

“Oh,” Hapi said, swallowing hard. “ _ Oh _ .” She looked Constance over, and really couldn’t find it in her to object. Constance was gorgeous, more than she had ever figured she would be under her clothes. 

Hapi’s eyes roamed every pure, spotless, immaculate inch of Constance’s body, every curve, her legs, the slope of her backside, the perfect swell of her chest, and she found herself suddenly feeling just a little bit more devout, because surely something like Coco could not have happened without divine intervention. She watched Constance discard the last of her undergarments and absolutely did not care that she was staring openly.

Constance put a hand on her hip and used the other to gesture to Hapi. “Do me a favor, Hapi, and remove that shirt. It’s in the way.” It took her less than five seconds to comply, and she propped herself up on her arms, completely nude now as well, grinning.

“Your wish is my command, milady,” she said, sarcastically. “Far be it from me to get between the mighty Constance von Nuvelle and her goal.”

“You look positively  _ delicious, _ Hapi,” Constance purred, crawling up onto the bed and kissing her. Hapi could taste herself this time, and it made her face feel just a little more hot than it already was. One of Constance’s hands supported her weight, and the other reached up and slowly caressed Hapi’s chest. Constance used one nail to jab at one of Hapi’s nipples, and she yelped into Constance’s mouth, more in surprise than pain. Constance laughed, a surprisingly low, husky sound that turned Hapi on more than she would care to admit. “Delightful.”

She shoved Hapi down onto the bed, onto her back, and slid, seamlessly, up to straddle her. “Now I think it’s your turn to put your mouth to use, Hapi. Be a good girl for me, would you?”

Hapi’s heart leapt when Constance called her ‘good girl’, and she was surprised. File that away for later, she figured, focusing on the task at hand. Or, at mouth, as it happened. 

Constance moved up a little further and presented herself to Hapi, who leaned up and dragged her tongue across Constance’s folds. Constance sighed happily and ground herself against Hapi’s mouth. Her scent and taste flooded Hapi’s senses, and it was almost enough to make her dizzy. 

As Hapi worked, drawing increasingly deep moans and increasingly high cries from Constance, Constance reached back and began to tease Hapi between her legs. It was slow, and subtle, but Hapi was already sensitive and it was enough to make her struggle just a bit under her partner, much to Constance’s delight. She sighed softly, her eyelashes fluttering, and she increased her pace, rubbing two fingers in slow circles around Hapi’s clit, trying to match Hapi’s speed. 

Hapi, wanting to get Constance off, and wanting to reach a second climax herself, made no attempt to stifle the moans that escaped her, the vibrations they sent through her lips and tongue clearly having an effect on Constance as well. She moved her hips down harder, and faster, breathing heavily and working Hapi up to the same crest as her.

There was something about the way they moved together, something about the synchronicity with which they played each other’s bodies like finely tuned instruments that they had been practicing with their whole lives, that made Hapi feel like they certainly should have done this sooner. They were perfect together,  _ Constance _ was perfect, and she couldn’t believe she had struggled to see it for so long. She looked up and saw Constance bucking and writhing and groaning and redoubled her efforts, wanting to give this woman the whole world, or, failing that, at least a  _ really _ mind blowing orgasm.

She seemed to have succeeded. Constance came first, shuddering, tensing, her muscles tightening and her legs gripping tight on either side of Hapi’s head. It made it difficult for Hapi to breathe, and that shortness of breath combined with watching Constance’s face, lost in ecstasy, and her beautiful, shaking, enraptured body, and hearing her cry out, her voice breaking, prettier than any song, were enough to send her over the edge too. She cried out, though it was muffled almost completely, and tried in vain to grind her hips against Constance’s barely-moving hand, trying to wring every last bit of pleasure she could out of her second climax of the night. 

After a moment, Constance went slack, and lowered herself gently toward the bed before growing unsteady and falling the last several inches with a cry of surprise. Hapi sucked in a deep breath, and then lost it almost immediately, laughing aloud at Constance’s fumbling dismount and the look on her face when she fell. Constance chuckled too, after recovering from the shock, and two of them laid there on the bed together, feeling little but blissful weakness and each other’s warmth. 

Constance and Hapi, with a great expenditure of effort, turned on the bed so that they were laying on it properly, and Hapi pulled Constance in from the side, drawing her close and letting Constance bury her face in the crook of Hapi’s neck. Constance’s breath was warm, and so was her body, and she knew she could feel her pulse, still racing, but slowing down gradually. Something about the arrangement just felt  _ right _ to Hapi. It felt like a key fitting into a lock, and it felt so natural and unquestionably correct that she felt just a little irritated that they had never explored this dynamic before.

For a long time, they didn’t say anything. Nothing needed to be said. The women laid there, together, and the only sounds in the room were their breaths and their heartbeats, which Hapi swore were almost right in time with each other. The silence was comfortable and companionate, rather than unnerving and tense as it had been before.

This time, it was Hapi who broke it.

“Hey, Coco?” she asked, softly, not wanting to disturb the placid and languorous mood any more than she had to.

“Yes, Hapi?” Constance replied, quiet, reverent.

“You know I love you, right? And I would only ever tell you the truth? Ever?”

“Of course. Why, what are you getting at?”

“I want you to be just, like, totally aware that this is the absolute best, and there is nothing in the world I would rather be doing.”

“Your opinion,” Constance said with a gentle, satisfied sigh, “has been noted.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and that I did them justice. Thanks to the organizers of Hapistance week, thanks to [tansy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tansybells/pseuds/tansybells) for beta-reading, and thanks to all the Hapistance shippers out there stanning this wonderful couple.


End file.
